McKellen to Return As Gandalf in 'Hobbit'

Posted on: Wednesday, 30 April 2008, 15:00 CDT

British actor Ian McKellen said he will reprise his Lord of the Rings role of Gandalf the wizard in two upcoming big-screen adaptations of The Hobbit.

Yes, it's true, McKellen told Empire magazine. It's not a part that you turn down. I loved playing Gandalf.

Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is to direct the Hobbit films, which lead up to Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. The new movies are to be released in 2010 and 2011, the BBC said.

The Lord of the Rings movies and one of the Hobbit films are based on the fantasy novels of author J.R.R. Tolkien.

The second Hobbit flick will be an original story set in the 60 years between the ending of the Hobbit book and the beginning of the Rings trilogy, the BBC said.

I spoke to Guillermo in the very room that Peter Jackson offered me the part and he confirmed that I would be reprising the role, McKellen told Empire.

As to how it's going to work over two films and what going to happen on screen, well Guillermo has not got down to working out the major details yet -- I can tell you it's going to be amazing though.


Source: United Press International

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